Places to visit

Within the walls of Pateo do Collegio, São Paulo was founded on January 25 in 1554. Besides the Museu Casa de Anchieta, the Solar da Marquesa de Santos, a rare exemplary of urban residence of the 18th century, is also worth a visit. Praça da Sé is also in the Old City Center, with its famous 14-tower cathedral, built in a gothic and renaissance style. Continuing along Vale do Anhangabaú, one comes upon perhaps the city’s tallest building, Altino Arantes, also known as Banespão. It is 35 stories tall, and you don’t have to pay to go up and enjoy the breathtaking view. Near historic “Ladeira da Memória” overlooking Largo de São Bento, sits the 17th century monastery, where mass is still held against a backdrop of Gregorian chants. The monks’ bakery is a temptation. Give in, it’s no sin. The Viaduto do Chá, or Tea Overpass, marks the transition to the New City Center. All around República Square, there are buildings that bear witness to many different architectural styles: the 1935 Edifício Esther, considered the first with a modern architectural design; the S-shaped Edifício Copan designed by Oscar Niemeyer; and Edifício Itália dating from 1965, with its 44 floors, and on top, a bar, restaurant and view to take your breath away. Edificio Itália is on Ipiranga Avenue whose intersection with São João Street inspired the composer Caetano Veloso when he wrote the song “Sampa.”

Eating and Drinking

Contrast is our middle name. You can eat well both in traditional local eateries or elegant restaurants. The famous bauru ham, mozzarella and tomato sandwich was invented at Ponto Chic. After shopping on 25 de Março Street, pop over to the Mercado Municipal to sample the most beloved pastries and sandwiches in the city. A truly traditional outing in São Paulo, the Mercadão, as it also known, is a mosaic of color and flavor that showcases a little something from all the different nationalities that settled in the capital. And don’t forget to pick up some other local delicacies, spices, fruits …

Shopping

A little bit of everything is available Downtown. Rock, samba and guitar enthusiasts and fans of all types of music coexist peacefully in the corridors of the Galeria do Rock, a prime example of pre-mall architecture. There, you can unearth from T-shirts sporting underground Japanese bands, to hard-to-find CDs. The Old City Center, especially around the Law School on Largo São Francisco, is the place to go if you’re looking for rare, discounted or out-of-print books. There are several good used bookstores in the area, some—such as the Messias—are traditional São Paulo favorites.

If you’re looking for bargains on anything related to electronics, from microchips to ultra-modern monitors, you have to go to Santa Ifigênia Street. For costume jewelry, accessories, domestic utensils and other knick-knacks, don’t hesitate to go to 25 de Março Street, the most famous collection of warehouses in Brazil. Several specialty business streets are also in this area. Just outside Downtown, in the neighborhood of Liberdade, the famous Japanese, Chinese and Korean restaurants are only a few of the many attractions. The little shops along Galvão Bueno Street, illuminated by beautiful oriental-style white streetlamps, are a great option for a stroll. On Sundays, Praça da Liberdade hosts an enjoyable fair selling crafts and typical local cuisine. While you’re there, take advantage and visit the Museu da Imigração Japonesa.

Exhibits and Performing Arts

For classical music fans, there are two traditional addresses Downtown. The first is the Teatro Municipal, where the historic Modern Art Week took place in 1922. The building itself, designed by Ramos de Azevedo in 1911, is reason enough to justify a visit. Almost directly across the street, the building now called Shopping Light, another of Azevedo’s designs, was the headquarters of an English company that first electrified the city and built the now nostalgic city streetcars. Heading towards the neighborhood of Luz, don’t miss the breathtaking Sala São Paulo, located in the one-time Estação Júlio Prestes. Considered the most outstanding in Brazil, the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra (OSESP) plays its concerts there. It’s possible to pre-arrange guided visits of the theater and main hall. While you’re there, check out Teatro Abril (the old Paramount) that hosts the most popular Broadway-style musicals south of the equator. The theater is no stranger to famous international productions, the Beauty and the Beast, Chicago, and now the Phantom of the Opera.

Near the neighborhood of Luz, Tiradentes Avenue is home to excellent attractions. One is Museu de Arte Sacra, with its wealth of religious images (Museu da Natividade is housed there) and where Carmelite Nuns prepare Frei Galvão pills, which many consider to be miraculous. Another is the Pinacoteca, where high quality temporary exhibits share the stage with the museum’s fantastic painting and sculpture collection. In Estação da Luz, there is the Museu da Língua Portuguesa, an interactive museum that provides a sensorial trip through the Portuguese language. If the weather is nice, take a stroll through Jardins da Luz. In the Old City Center, the Banco do Brasil Cultural Center—once the bank’s first headquarters in São Paulo—offers an excellent program of arts, movies, theater and music at accessible prices. In the neighborhood of Consolação, the Biblioteca Mário de Andrade, the largest in the city, has 3.8 million titles.